Analysis: West Virginia defense knew Pitt QB Phil Jurkovec ‘wasn’t that good at his job’
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When random fans complain about Pitt quarterback Phil Jurkovec or rain boos upon him from high above the playing surface, that’s never good. If Jurkovec continues to struggle next Saturday against North Carolina, you can imagine what Acrisure Stadium will sound like.
Yet no matter how hard the fans scream or litter social media with their angst, it can’t be any worse than what West Virginia cornerback Beanie Bishop said after he returned one of three interceptions 40 yards in West Virginia’s 17-6 victory Saturday in the Backyard Brawl.
My argument for Pitt this offseason was the ceiling was iffy, but there was a high floor. Jurkovec was a good fit, he’d be protected better, and they had an identity.
I was wrong about every part of that.
Good lord.
— ????????️♈️???? (@ADavidHaleJoint) September 17, 2023
Now, remember: Bishop helps man a secondary that surrendered an average of 281.5 aerial yards in the first two weeks of the season, including a game against Duquesne of the FCS. Even after lopping 200 yards off that number against Pitt, the Mountaineers’ pass defense is ranked only 74th nationally. You would think Jurkovec would have completed more than eight passes against a secondary looking to find itself.
@JeffTurek tape https://t.co/RzG9RegM2e
— The Nachos (@FocusedOnNachos) September 17, 2023
“Yeah, I mean, we knew coming into the game, too, that their quarterback, he wasn’t that good at his job, or whatever,” Bishop said. “But once Aubrey (Burks) got his (interception in the second quarter), I told him, ‘Man, I’m next.’
“Like I told (reporters) earlier, I knew they were going to pass and force the secondary to play well.”
Said it last week and I’ll say it again. One of the reasons this marriage was supposed to work is because it was supposed to be a reunion for Jurkovec and Cignetti. He’s supposed to know the offense. It really looks like he got the playbook 5 mins ago.
— Will Graves (@WillGravesAP) September 17, 2023
Actually, Pitt started leaning on its passing game only out of necessity after falling behind by 10 in the third quarter. It looked alarmingly like the coaching staff didn’t want to put the game in the hands of their sixth-year senior quarterback. Pitt ran nearly three times more than it passed in the first half.
With Pitt posing no threat through the air, West Virginia loaded up its defense against the Panthers’ ground game, and the holes closed quickly. Early, Rodney Hammond looked to be in good rhythm, but he ended up with only 49 yards on 14 carries.
Related:
• Phil Jurkovec struggles in Pitt’s Backyard Brawl loss to West Virginia
• West Virginia backup QB Nicco Marchiol displays cool nerves in Backyard Brawl victory
Given those problems, here’s the thing that will bother Narduzzi most about Pitt’s 1-2 start: The Panthers missed an opportunity to gain traction against the softest part of their schedule.
• West Virginia defeated Pitt with backup quarterback Nicco Marchiol after starter Garrett Green injured his leg and missed all but five plays.
• And did you notice Cincinnati took the momentum gained from thumping Pitt last week, and lost to Miami (Ohio), 31-24, at home in overtime?
Pitt’s defense played well enough to win, holding West Virginia to 211 yards and 12 first downs on scrimmage plays, two others on penalties. Pitt’s nine penalties for a loss of 65 yards is another element of the loss that made Sunday video review no picnic for players and coaches.
Strangely, Pitt’s struggling offense collected the same number of yards as West Virginia. The difference was WVU scored 10 points after turnovers, advancing only 7 and 6 yards both times.
I’ve watched this play 20 times and I can’t figure out what he possibly could have saw or been thinking. https://t.co/waOaEasjuV
— The Loyal Sons (@TheLoyalSons) September 17, 2023
“I haven’t lost many football games when you give up 211 yards,” coach Pat Narduzzi said. “I was proud of our defense.”
Then, there’s the matter of pass protection. Playing without starting freshman right guard B.J. Williams, who was injured in practice last week, Jurkovec was sacked once. The Mountaineers’ defense was credited with two hurries, both by linebacker Trey Lathan.
“I thought we protected him better than we did a week ago,” Narduzzi said. “I’ll look at the tape to see exactly what we have to do. I thought our performance was better.”
Now, Pitt’s best offensive lineman, senior left tackle Matt Goncalves, might be dealing with an injury. The quarterback’s blind-side protector left early in the fourth quarter and didn’t return. After the game, Narduzzi said he was “sure” Williams will return against North Carolina. He declined to comment about Goncalves. That’s not a good sign.
Coaches play games one at a time. But without those restrictions, everyone else can look ahead and see four ranked teams on Pitt’s schedule, starting with No. 17 North Carolina, followed by No. 9 Notre Dame, No. 4 Florida State and No. 18 Duke. To even get to 6-6, Pitt must upset one of those four opponents and win four of the other five games.
Last season, after losing three of four, Pitt ended on a five-game winning streak. If the defense continues the strong play it displayed through most of the WVU game and Narduzzi fixes his problem at quarterback — with either dramatic improvement from Jurkovec or a change he is reluctant to make — the season can be salvaged.
Pitt set a standard for itself with 20 victories and an ACC championship the past two seasons. But in the constantly changing landscape of college football where the strongest thrive, Pitt can’t afford the pre-Narduzzi mediocrity that brought him to Pitt in the first place.